Work As Post-Pandemic Worship: The Urgent Task of Formulating a Theology of Work for Today

Abstract

Over the last three years, we have all been witnesses to a watershed moment in recent history. COVID- 19 ushered in a new era of human existence, the result of which is that our present context is not the same as that which existed prior to spring 2020. As we emerge from the pandemic, COVID-19 appears to have impacted morality and created a new ethical landscape from that which existed prior to it. The marketplace has undergone change, and we are only just beginning to assess what the future might look like. The first glimpse of the workplace as it emerges from the pandemic reflects what we are discovering in society as a whole—that a moral shift has taken place towards individualism, with choices being driven by personal preference. The knock-on effect will most certainly impact how Christians perceive the intersection of theology and work. Today’s marketplace is more self-focused, which undermines how Christians must approach their work. The need for a re-evaluation of a theological ethic for this emergent marketplace is evident. The Christian response to work today ought not to embrace the new individualism but must reject self as god and reaffirm the original creation mandate of work as stewardship, worship, and a missional endeavor.